Concerts celebrate Connecticut music scene

Have you ever wanted to explore your local music scene, but didn’t know where to start?

Check out one — or all three — of these live music events popping off in the coming weeks: The Emerge Festival at Arch Street Tavern in Hartford on Friday and Saturday, March 2 and 3; Black Rock Rocks Pardi Gras 2013 at multiple venues on Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport on Saturday, April 6; and CT’s Fauxchella 2013 at The Space, The Outer Space and The Spaceland Ballroom in Hamden on Saturday April 20.

Read more about the three festivals below:

The Emerge Festival at Arch Street Tavern, HartfordFriday and Saturday, March 2 and 3

Hosted by CT.com and Chip’s Unnamed Local Band Show, the Emerge Festival was created to spotlight area talent and raise funds for Connecticut bands performing at South By Southwest this year. Daphne Lee Martin, Sidewalk Dave and Elison Jackson (all artists on Martin’s New London-based Telegraph Recording Company) are making the trek down to the biggest independent music event in the country, and The Emerge Festival — and the fans who attend — will help them get there.

After the Feb. 8 snow storm that buried Bridgeport under several feet of the white stuff, this annual event — originally dubbed Mardis Gras — was canceled. At the time, there was no reschedule date in sight. Now, Black Rock Rocks, the host of the event, has announced that it will take place this spring (which is probably for the best, since the weather is bound to be more welcoming). Mardis Gras may have passed, but the fact that this event is still going down will give local music fans plenty of reason to celebrate.

Performing: The official line-up has yet to be announced, however it’s possible that at least a few of the acts announced for the February date will still perform. Among them are: Nardy Boy, King For A Day, Fungus Amungus, Cosmic Jibaros, StringFingers, The Primate Fiasco, Symphonic Bodega, Solistic, Hot Chaos, EKL, Like Violet and Darian Cunning.

CT’s Fauxchella 2013 at The Space and adjoining venues, Hamden Saturday April 20

Sure, there’s Coachella — the six-day music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. — but who can afford to go to that? Connecticut’s tongue-in-cheek answer to the country’s biggest concert festival is Fauxchella, a day-long celebration featuring a bevy of amazing local acts (including the return of Danbury’s The Files and Fires, one of my favorites). This will be held in The Space, as well as two newer adjoining venues, The Outer Space and the Spaceland Ballroom.